Maybe it’s the pace of life or all the changes going on but people are stressed. As I have coached busy people over the past decade, one common theme that comes up is “How do I manage stress?” It’s sad to see how this beast wreaks havoc on relationships every day and saps productivity from even top performers. To help with the “stress distress”, I will be sharing three keys over the next three weeks that really work to tame the beast called stress. These will be short but poignant aids you can use in your own battle against stress!

Key #1: Learn people skills
It is impossible to have a less stressed life without knowing how to work well with other people. Relationship problems are the number one issue that my coaching clients report, and I know they are not alone. Of course we assume the problem is with the other person. But what if you had the ability to quickly understand how to speak to each person you met? I don’t mean what phonetic language to use. But rather what language based on their personality. You would speak to them in such a way so that they feel heard and validated and truly understood.

Not too long ago, Mary came to coaching because she was taking on more responsibility at work. She discovered that with more responsibility came more people issues. One of the first things I did was have Mary take the personality assessment I like to use called the Peoplemap. I love this tool because it only requires 10 minutes to take and is easy to understand and has immediate benefit. The four personality types are Leader, People, Free Spirit and Task. Each of us is a combination of all four types. Two of the types are more dominant and two are less dominant.

After taking the Peoplemap, Mary became clearer about the strengths of her personality as well as her weaknesses. As we worked together she began to understand the various personality types in her team which helped pinpoint the cause of friction in her team. This knowledge helped her take action to manage herself and create a more cohesive and productive unit.

Developing people skills really helped Mary lower her stress level and it will help you too. So whether it is at work or at home, be intentional to improve your own people skills. Click here if you would like to learn more about the Peoplemap or get your own copy of the assessment.

Giveaways: I’m offering a complimentary copy of 10 ways to prevent stress. If you would like to get your copy please email me and include ‘10 Ways to Prevent Stress’ on the subject line. I’ll send it right out to you. This comes with an offer of a complimentary 25 minute coaching call to help you learn the skills needed to manage relationships so don’t wait. Email me and set up a complimentary 25 minute coaching call today.